Smoke clouds over San Fransokyo
by fucking no one
Summary: after Tadashi's death Hiro seems to pick up normal life again quickly, suprising his friends. is everything really going as well as Hiro makes it seem though? no OCs. no pairings. slight AU in which Hiro doesn't rip up the invitation to SFIT. plot more or less the same, character tweaks affect story slightly. first fic.
1. Chapter 1

Smoke clouds over San Fransokyo

"Hiro, wake up"

I groggily opened my eyes and slowly sat up. Blinking a couple of times to shake off the morning dizziness, i stood up and prepared to myself for the day.

10 minutes and a quick shower later i treaded down the stairs. In the past they used to creak when i walked over them, but since Tadashi's death i'd steadily been losing weight.

I was usually alone in the morning, aunt cass was already working the morning shift down at the cafe. At first i found it awful to eat alone in the morning, but since he hadn't had an appetite for food anyway the past months i'd gradually grown to be thankful for it. i didn't have to dodge questions about my eating habits now.

Leaving for school i gave my aunt a quick wave and walked out the café, pulling up my hoodie's zipper. After i was a couple of streets away, i reached for my pocket, taking out a pack of smokes and a lighter.

I didn't know exactly why, but in the period after my brother's funeral, i'd picked up smoking. In the beginning I had just been holed up in his room, dully staring out the window or at the roof. Later on i started wandering through the many streets and alleys of san fransokyo. It was at that time i'd walked past a small store, with a neon sign advertising cigarette sale. i never considered smoking before, it seemed like a useless waste, besides, Tadashi would have killed me. I shuddered at the thought of my brother, trying to shake the thought.

Maybe that's why i'd started. After His death I had undeniably felt pretty depressed, and I finally started to understand why smoking was so tempting. I just never had the life experience to see that. I figured it was no matter now though. I lighted the cigarette and inhaled the smoke. All the while he kept walking the path to school

As I rounded a corner and blew a cloud of smoke in the air, something caught my eye. I slowed my pace, looking over my shoulder. I could've sworn a famillair light green car had been following me, but no sight of it now. I shrugged, probably coincidence, and steadied my pace.

I entered SFIT, making sure to deposit the cigarette well before entering. i didn't want my friends to be worrying or asking questions, they were already busy enough as it was.

"hey little man, what're you up to".

Before I could enter my workspace, I was stopped by my muscled friend, Wasabi. In all honesty, I didn't know his real name. He'd been introduced by his nickname and been called that ever since.

"not too much''

I shrugged, surprised at my own voice

''just trying to get back the workflow"

it came out hoarse and raspy, to my own suprise. Wasabi gave me a slightly concerned look but continued without mentioning it;

"allright then Buddy, I'm glad to see you here again! I'll catch you for lunch."

Before I could respond he already marched off, leaving me with a lunch date I'd really rather not be having. I sighed and pulled up a chair by the workbench. Already feeling tired again.

The morning passed quickly, and Wasabi was more or less forcing me to come with him.

"C'mon Hiro, were already 4 minutes late, we wont have enough time to order".

There was no point in stalling the situation, so I got up and walked with him. Usually I'd smoke in the breaks, but if I couldn't do it now. If any of them saw me smoke they'd no doubt call aunt cass, and then I be in bigger trouble.

We sat at a table in the shade after we'd ordered food, well, Wasabi had. he had Insisted on paying, but just the thought of food made me nauseous. Out of respect I ended up ordering a bottle of green tea, but he didn't seem satisfied.

"you know, lunch is an important part of the day's meals, skipping it is seriously unhealthy? What do you eat anyway, I barely see you outside of your lab."

I listened to Wasabi's speech and nodded. I knew it wasn't healthy and all, but what was I supposed to do? I can't eat if I'm feeling sick, right?

Before I could respond, 3 newcomers joined the table. GoGo, Honey Lemon and Fred all flopped on the benches with lunches of their own.

"look who we have here, everyone's favorite mini genius"

the snarky comment had come from GoGo, who was eyeing me already. I gave a small smile but kept silent. They settled in and dug in their lunch.

"aren't you gonna eat something?" Again, this question, this time from honey. I'd gotten pretty tired of questions about it, but I couldn't keep ignoring it either.

"I had donuts with me, from the café" I tried. they didn't seem very convinced, GoGo raising an eyebrow in her typical manner.

Fred, always the one to rush into into stuff without consideration, grabs a muffin from his plate and half jokingly tries to shove it in my mouth. I jerked back at the suprise attack and jump up, the lighter flying out of my pocket. It falls in the grass, but before I can reach it Wasabi picks it up, now looking straight up worried.

"Hiro, is this a lighter?"

Wasabi asks the most rhetorical question possible. If everyone hadn't been watching me earlier they certainly were now. I looked at down at the ground and nod, though reluctantly.

"what the hell man, don't tell me you started smoking?!" GoGo almost yells, Fred's expression was uncomfortable, already regretting his impulsive action. Honey just looked sad.

"it's nothing really, it's just a lighter" I stutter, looking for a way out of this confrontation. This was gonna be an awful day.

* * *

I'd never really been one to get emotional, but seeing Tadashi's little 14 year old brother smoking really got me.

It's not like we hadn't noticed he was clearly still grieving, he barely ate anything if at all, and he's had bags under his eyes ever since the funeral. Still though, smoking was something I really hadn't expected. The kid had always been upbeat and relaxed. It really hit home that tadashi's death had had such an impact on him.

Now that I thought about it, hiro had always been with Tadashi, whenever I saw them anyway. I know he used to sneak out for Botfights, hell, Tadashi totally flipped out when he found out.

Snapping out of my thoughts after I lashed out, I glance around the table. Hiro's leaning against a nearby tree, clearly not happy with the turn of events. The rest of the group are still sitting at the table, the lighter next to Wasabi. Then Fred spoke up;

''hey umm, we don't even know if Hiro's actually smoking'' he said with a nervous grin ''all we did was find a lighter, right. Why jump to conclusions?'' He was right, we might have overeacted a bit. An awkward look went around the table. We were gonna have to apologize Hiro, who had now moved on from the tree, probably back to the lab.

* * *

Well, that didn't go well at all. I opened the door to _tada_ \- My, my lab, making sure to close it behind me. I felt awful about falling out with my friends, they were only trying to help. Why did I sign up for college again? Oh yeah, I remembered, grimacing, to stop aunt Cass from worrying that much. I dropped down at my desk chair and let out a heavy sigh.

Ironically enough, after this a smoke would really do me good. I opened one of my drawers and picked up a lighter, shoved all the way to the back of the storage space.

I slowly leaned back, closing my eyes and taking a drag. Thoughts I had been trying to suppress suddenly overtook me like a wave, I felt my chest clench already. Still, ignoring it had worked best in the past, so breathed out and put the cigarette to my mouth once more.

Not this time, apparently. I found myself rehearsing the events of a few weeks back constantly. The showcase, the fire, _the explosion,_ the funeral. I couldn't seem to go a day without it. I lifted my hand again, but the cig was finished already. Without a second thought I lighted another, and closed my eyes again.

Before I could stop myself, tears started to well up in the corner of my eyes. I whimpered and pulled one leg up to my chest as a tear started rolling down my face. Infinitely recounting the past tragedy I just sat there and wept, not paying attention to my surroundings anymore.

I didn't even notice the door open.

* * *

We strolled back inside, depositing our lunchboxes in the nearest trashcan. Fred stepped inside our lab first, quickly looking around the class to see if Hiro was anywhere around the main room. I figured he was probably in his lab. Bad luck had it he was assigned the same one his deceased brother was in just weeks ago. Thinking about it made my heart sink and I quickly brushed off the thought.

I grabbed the doorknob, about to barge into the room, but a sudden noise that sounded awfully like a sob stopped me in my tracks. I hushed the others, who were now close behind me and listened. My presumption was proven right, after a few seconds another sob escaped the room.

I was at a loss. Give me a bike and I'd take on the world and then some, but I couldn't comfort someone if my life depended on it. I looked at the group with an unsure look on my face. Honey looked about to burst into tears herself, she never knew how to deal with stuff like this. Wasabi had started organizing his already pitch perfect workspace, something he always did when he was stressed out. It was just me and Fred now.

He had a sour look on his face, but it faded quickly, and he reached for the door. It opened completely silent, thanks to Wasabi, who couldn't stand a squeaking door. Fred gave me a friendly wave and closed the door.

* * *

I treaded inside the private Lab, scanning the room for a sight of Hiro.

 _'One of the downsides of having introverted nerd friends was they were pretty bad at handling emotional stuff'_

I thought, looking around for a sign of Hiro. I hadn't been here since the fire, I felt a lump in my throat already. I couldn't even imagine how Hiro must be feeling, it had been just a few weeks since Tadashi passed, I had been surprised to see him here so soon again.

I spotted the boy in the corner, at his desk. A small trickle of smoke was slowly circling to the roof, a cigarette burned out in a makeshift ashtray. He had one knee to his chest and appeared to be hugging something.

After a second look I noticed it was probably a piece of clothing. Forcing myself to move I took a few unsure steps In his direction. Hiro seemed to finally notice, he turned his head and woefully looked in my direction. He had a cig between his fingers, his other hand used to wipe away his tears. I stared for a split second but continued my stride towards him.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to him, laying my arm around his shoulder. He didn't even try to stop me, just staring at the ground and blowing out a cloud of smoke. Sometimes silence was the best comfort after all.

a couple of minutes passed and he looked up to me, not as down as earlier but still not looking all to good.

''please don't mention this to the others, Fred''

his voice was small. I thought about it for a minute, but then I gave him a sympathetic smile and nodded. He looked relieved, giving me a cheerless but honest smile. I got up and sauntered towards the door.

''i'll tell them you just need some time alone, allright? They'll understand!'' I said, with my hand at the knob of the door.

''thanks fred'' the quiet response came. I gave a soft laugh ''anytime man'' and stepped outside the room, closing the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to the one lad that reviewed this, I fixed the spoken parts.

Also sorry for the short chapter, I never really wrote stories. besides some homebrew lore for boardgames so ehh, I honestly can't pinpoint when i'll update.

I honestly have no idea how im gonna proceed this story either, ideas are appreciated I guess. If I like them I can probably incorporate 'em in it. Chapter 2's here I guess.

Chapter 2

The silent heart-to-heart with Fred had been nice. The cigarette was long finished, but I still had it clasped between my fingers, wandering in thought. I blinked and stood up, stretching my arms. No sound came from the main area, the others might have gone home already, considering we didn't have any set times. I limped to the door, my right leg was sleeping, and passed through to the exit.

There was a note on the door, with excuses from the group and a couple of silly drawings, no doubt by Fred. I chuckled to myself, putting the paper in my back pocket and moving on. When I got to the exit it was already starting to get dark. I mentally whacked myself over the head for not even once looking at a clock. My buzzing leg was wearing off, so I started jogging towards the cafe.

On the way there I ran past an office building with a large clock in the window. _21:47_ in bright green neon font. ''shit shit shit'' my steady jog now turned to a full on rush. Aunt Cass really woulnd't have me late, there was a lot she was ok with, but being late wasn't on that list.

I sprinted down the road, the cafe already in sight. In the final stretch I saw aunt Cass putting the garbage out. This was my chance. running around the back of the house and opening the door, I rushed for the stairs. I could already hear the front door open. I gave a last ditch effort and twisted up the stairs, trying to stay as silent as possible while rushing for the attic at breakneck pace.

Final steps, one more...

I suddenly felt a heavy pull under my feet, and within a second I tripped, flying through the room at high speed before hitting my bed full force.

''shit damn ow ow ow''I sputter, still trying to catch my breath while rubbing my painful shoulder.

The sound of inflating vinyl filled the room. I looked up, searching for the source of the sound.

My late brother's final invention trotted towards me. ''Hello, I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion'' the soft robotic voice said ''you appear to have fallen. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain''. I finally snapped back to reality after watching the walking marshallow slowly position itself in front of me ''uhh, a zero? I just fell, it's nothing really...''.

''I will scan you now''

''No, no no no, don't scan me, I'm fine''

''scan complete''

''unbelievable''

''you have sustained several long term injuries'' the robot continued unfazed by my complaints ''besides elevated hormonal and neurotransmitter levels, you have lost a unhealthy amount of weight since I last scanned you'' he paused for a second, tilting his head to the left and blinking slowly ''my diagnosis: depression, caused by grieving.''

I stared at the robot, impressed with the coding my brother had done on this thing. The pain of even thinking about Tadashi struck me again seconds later, and I instantly wanted baymax to vanish again. ''Ok, time for you to shrink now buddy, I appreciate the worry, but i'm fine, really.''

I zipped over to Tadashi's bunk, closing my eyes and only grabbing the charging station without looking at anything. ''C'mon, let's get you back in there'', I gave Baymax little push towards the pad.

''I can only deactivate if you are satisfied with your care'' the robot stated. I was already in the process of climbing on Baymax in an attempt to force him back in his box. ''allright, then I'm satisfied with my caaaAAA-owhh'' I slipped on the smooth vinyl. For the second time the past 10 minutes I landed face first on the wooden floor.

''you have fallen'' the robot deadpanned, already getting on my nerves ''ya think?'' I was about to roll over and get up when I noticed an old vest moving under my bed. Upon closer inspection, it was the jacket I'd worn for the SFIT presentation. I reached for the pocket, kind of afraid it was gonna be a mouse or something. It was, however, a microbot, MY microbot.

For a second, I was at a loss for words. My entire project was destroyed, right? But then I remembered the conversation right after the presentation, where the businessman, Krei, had almost stolen one of the bots. There was a more important matter, however. Why was it moving?

I figured it was probably a malfunction, then. I didn't want to bother with it to long anyway. I felt my usual attitude refill me again. The excitement I just felt flowed away again, the spark dying as soon as it came. ''Baymax, i'm satisfied with my care'' I said, dropping down on my bed.

I'd think about the microbot some more tomorrow...

*extra note, I decided baymax didn't add smoking to the diagnosis, since Tadashi's death is only about a month ago in this part of the story, and hiro only picked up smoking about 2 weeks ago, so no direct results are apparent, yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Same thing for last chapter, if you got any ideas or shit you want added, ask away! No OC's, pairings or sexual confusion shit. There's plenty of fics dealing with that kinda stuff. but besides that ask away.

Also I feel it's important to mention I don's study anything related to medical stuff. Everything about smoking is googled up shit. the depression/unhealthy body shit is based on own experience.

My target's gonna be at least 1000 words per chapter by the way. Now that all that's out the way, Let's get on with it.

* * *

Chapter 3

 _''sleep is for the weak''_

or so I tried to convince myself, anyway. The microbot issue hadn't left me alone. Even though I was pretty tired, and the nightmares I had after the fire dimmed down, I wasn't falling asleep, or even dozing.

I couldn't convince myself it was ''just a malfunction'', even though I'd written it off like that. I coded those things myself, there was simply no way it kept moving without _something_ controlling it, or someone, I thought grimly.

I turned in my bed for the millionth time, looking at the clock. 4:12 AM. I let out a heavy sigh before heaving my skinny frame off the bed and grabbing a shirt from my beanbag. I paused while passing by the full length mirror, shirt half over head already. It struck me then how badly I'd let myself go. Sure, I'd never been really fit or trained, but this was something else. I could basically count my own ribs.

I stood there for another few seconds before pulling my shirt further down and moving on to my desk. Mashing the power button on the 27 inch monitor, it instantly lit up. I had it turned on 24/7, it didn't take that much power anyway. I booted the botfighting interface, and started scanning the posts.

Nothing. Since I'd gotten Yama busted on accident the local scene had gone awfully quiet. I pressed the button on the monitor again, and stepped down the stairs to the living room. I hadn't accounted for aunt Cass, who was actually having her own breakfast right now.

I plodded down, completely oblivious to aunt Cass staring at me, surprised I was up at this hour.

''Uhh, Hiro..?''

I was leaning on a cupboard in the hallway, the one that had my parents and now Tadashi's picture on it. I quickly regained my composure, and threw a fake smile at aunt Cass '' _stupid, how could you forget it's 4 in the damn morning''_ I scolded myself.

''oh hi aunt cass'' I said, still with the awkward fake smile ''I couldn't sleep, I'm just going for a walk, haha...'' she gave me a concerned glance, but an approving nod followed quickly ''okay then Hiro, but if anything's wrong you'll tell me right?'' I nodded and quickly walked past, glad she didn't ask about breakfast.

The fresh morning air blew in my face. Morning walks were always good, they gave me time to think. It was 5 by now, and the early risers were already strolling past, steaming coffee in their hands. I left the business district, passing through the suburbs. I ended up in the bay area. No one was here yet.

I sat down at one of the hundreds of piers, legs dangling over the water. For some reason it had something melancholic to watch over the sea, no matter how cliché it was. This was the only place I could find some tranquility in all the craziness of the past month. I lighted a cigarette and watched the sun rise.

The dock was getting busier now, I dusted myself off, got up and footed off the terrain. Even though it wasn't illegal to be there, they'd rather not have people hanging around with all the cranes and heavy moving. Passing through a loose fence, I got off the dockyard and back into the bubbling streets of San Fransokyo. I was about to get back to the cafe when I felt a pull on my hoodie.

* * *

SFIT opened in 2 minutes, but no sign of Hiro yet. Honey seemed worried. I gave her a reassuring smile, even though I doubted he'd show up myself. Even though Fred had insisted he was ok but just needed some time off, I wasn't so sure.

The doors swung open, and the group of early students streamed into the halls, all looking for their respective labs. Our group was always in early. For some reason everyone preferred it, even though they weren't all morning people. Hiro still hadn't shown up. I shrugged it off, he probably overslept or something, no reason to worry.

The hours passed by, everyone working on their projects. Still no Hiro. I walked over to the others for our usual lunch break. The mood at the table was heavier than usual, the conversations more calm and collected, no outbursts or anything. '' _At least I'm not the only one worrying over the issue''_ I thought to myself. We quietly slogged back to the lab.

Just as we were about to get to our own projects again, the door burst open. Hiro limped inside, clutching his side with one arm. His shirt was ripped and red stains coated his khaki shorts. He steadily marched past us, avoiding eye contact. However, a few meters before reaching his lab, his apparently hurt leg gave away on him, and he only just kept himself from falling over completely by reaching the workbench with his other hand.

Wasabi was the first of us to jump to action. We'd all been standing there just staring at the scene unfolding in front of us. He rushed to Hiro's side, throwing his arm around his shoulder and setting him down straight again. Hiro grimaced at the movement, especially when the large African-American let go for a moment. His leg instantly gave out again and Wasabi only just grabbed him, this time keeping a steady hold on him.

The kid looked even paler then usual, and that was saying something. Through his ripped shirt I could see his bony chest and non-existent stomach. I cringed at the awful sight. It made me feel Hiro really wasn't as ok as he made it look.

I shook out of my musings, There were more direct matters at hand. Hiro was being escorted to Fred's chair, pained expression plastered on his face, showing his teeth gap. After he'd settled down in the chair, Fred and Wasabi ran off for a first aid kit. Leaving Honey and me with Hiro.

''So, Hiro, sorry for asking so bluntly, but what happened?'' Honey asked ''I mean, not to push you or anything...'' she quickly looked away. Hiro just stared for a moment, before simply stating ''nothing, I fell, that's all.''

I didn't believe him, not for a second. He'd rushed in here all panicked, and had multiple wounds all over him. It had to be something different.

''it's ok Hiro, we understa-'' I cut Honey off mid sentence. ''I know you're lying.'' I spat, damn my temper. He winced, surprised at my outburst ''you aren't gonna sit here and tell me you more or less broke your leg and cut up your entire body with a _''fall''_ , I'm not buying it'' I let out a heavy breath. Honey gave me a shocked look. Wasabi and Fred just walked in but apparently heard my outburst too because they quickly passed me without making eye contact.

Hiro sat in the chair in silence for a couple of minutes, Staring at the ceiling while Wasabi and Honey tended to his injuries. After some time he lowered his head and said ''allright then. I'll tell the truth, but you aren't gonna believe it.''

reviews:

 **Seems-pretty-legit** – glad yer enjoying it friend, sorry for the slow updates and shit.


	4. Chapter 4

Before anything, this chapter was by far the hardest to write so far. I'm still not at all confident of my own writing skills. I had a few drafts but I ended up mostly documenting the movie. I'm sorry if that turns you off. Next chapter is gonna involve more of my own twists.

Also, don't worry, this story isn't gonna kill off any main characters, it's basically the plot of the movie, but progression is altered to the character tweaks I guess. There's a bit less emphasis on baymax as well.

Also I saw some other fics recommended music while reading, now I doubt this fic is even worth that but for anyone interested, I feel this works for the chapter:

Bones – HelloFriend/ThatStuffWillKillYa

chapter 4

* * *

''So, let me get this straight'' Wasabi recounted my adventure ''you ran off to an abandoned warehouse, found your microbots, got chased away by a man In a kabuki mask and dropped from a window?'' he gave me an incredulous stare. I nodded ''told you you wouldn't believe me.''

they were silent for a moment, then Gogo spoke up. ''prove it''. The others seemed to agree that was the best way to go as well. I wanted to get up and get going instantly, I'd already forgotten my injured leg. Seconds after jumping up a sharp stabbing pain shot in my leg. I gave a yelp and collapsed back on the chair again, clenching my teeth.

''oh you didn't think you were going out looking like _that_ ,did you?'' she sounded almost amused ''I'm gonna drive you home, you need to check up with your aunt as well.''. I rolled my eyes but complied, I wasn't going anywhere with this leg anyway.

* * *

The ride home has been uneventful, if very fast. Gogo wished me luck explaining to aunt Cass and sped off again. The cafe was filled to the brim, as usual. I pushed the doors open and sneaked through the Cafe, using the customers as urban cover of sorts. Aunt Cass was way to busy, I got past the register no trouble at all. I relaxed a bit and casually walked up the first flight of stairs.

I changed out of my ripped attire quickly, dumping the shirt behind a workbench. Most of the bruises I got during the chase were already looking a bit better, and even though my shirt was completely demolished, the bots hadn't scratched me up.

My leg was doing a bit better as well, thanks to Honey and Wasabi's help. It still hurt though. I laid down on my bed and thought over the day's events once again.

 _None of this is making sense_

I couldn't find a clue.=, Everything lead to dead ends. I must be missing something. The hours had passed by and it was almost midnight again. Just as I wanted to give up and smoke a cigarette, baymax activated once again. I was already half of my bed, rubbing my forehead ''speak of the devil'' I murmured to myself. It was as if Tadashi implied a specific program for me. Knowing him, that wouldn't be far off. I chuckled to myself, a genuine one. It'd been a while since I had a thought involving Tadashi that didn't lead to more grief.

'' _Tadashi_ ''

''what?''

I looked at the robot, this time with my full attention.

'' _Tadashi_ ''

Baymax remained where he inflated, looking at Tadashi's corner of the room. I looked over there as well. Everything was tidied up, all his stuff still in there as if he wasn't gone. His favorite hat laid out in the middle of the bed, it almost felt like it was taunting me.

I got up from the bed, the positive spark I had a few seconds prior already killed.

''Tadashi's gone'' I told the robot, sadness sounding in my voice. I was kinda glad robots couldn't recognize emotion.

'' _when will he return_ '' the robot asked, completely oblivious to the situation.

''he's dead, baymax''

I answered, closing the frames between My and Tadashi's sides of the room.

'' _Tadashi was in excellent health_ '' the robot just continued '' _with the proper diet and exercise,_ _he should have lived a long life_ ''. I hobbled past Baymax again. ''yeah, he should have.'' I felt everything from the past month hit me again ''but there was a fire. And now he's gone'' I let out a raspy breath.

'' _Tadashi is here_ ''

''No'' I turned my chair again and sprung up. I was getting frustrated with the android ''people keep saying he's not really gone, as long as we remember him'' I scoffed, I never bought that bullshit anyway.

If someone's dead, he's gone. No amount of willpower, strength or knowledge is gonna bring him back. So far, I'd cruised through all the obstacles life threw at me with ease. This, I couldn't handle, no one could. I felt absolutely powerless, knowing that there was no way I could fix _this_ made it hurt even more. I dropped back in my chair.

''it still hurts''

'' _I see no evidence of physical injury_ ''.

 _So naïve_ I thought, before replying''it's a different kind of hurt''

the robot finally moved from his place, stepping out of the charging pad. '' _You are my patient, I would like to help_ ''

a sad smile crossed my face ''ya can't fix this one buddy''. I was about to shut him down again when a series of quick beeps sounded across the room. I looked up at baymax. ''uhh, what are you doing?''

'' _I am downloading a database on personal loss_ '' multiple articles flew past on the monitor in the robot's chest, I vaguely made out articles on depression and addiction. '' _Database downloaded, treatments include; contact with friends, and loved ones_ '' he paused for a second '' _I am contacting them now_ ''.

''Nononono'' I jumped up from my sitting position ''I-i, don't-'' the robot raised a chubby finger '' _your friends have been contacted_ ''

I threw my hands up in the air ''unbelievable''

suddenly, a warm hug encased me. ''now what are you doing?'' I asked, surprised. '' _other treatments include; compassion, and, physical reassurance._ '' the robot droned up from his database ''i'm okay, really'' I lied, though I couldn't deny it was nice to be hugged by what was technically a huge, soft cushion.

'' _you will be allright, there, there_ '' the android said, in what he must think was comforting, though coming from a 6'4 marshmallow-man it was more comedic. He patted my head too, for some reason.

To my own surprise, I actually enjoyed it a lot. I felt warmer then I had in weeks.

''thanks, baymax''

I broke free from the comfortable hug.

''I am sorry, about the fire''

''it's ok, it was an accident'' I answered on autopilot.

Then, it hit me. I glanced at the one microbot I still had.

''unless... it wasn't...'' I tried to put my thoughts to words, since baymax documented almost anything, even audio. This way I could always fall back on these recordings if I ever needed to. ''at the showcase, the guy in the mask, he stole my microbots. Then set the fire to cover his tracks.''

my stomach turned, but at the same I felt energy in me I hadn't experienced in a while. ''he's responsible for Tadashi''. I stomped over to my desk, slamming my fists down on the wood. ''we gotta catch that guy''.

* * *

 **Anon** – I don't know what specific point of the story yer referring to, but smoking's pretty common for 14 year olds, at least where i'm from (the Netherlands). Feel free to explain ya critique in the next review, if you continue reading. Im always interested yo.

 **Sophhascoconuts –** i'm glad you like it. Yea it's gonna be an alt storyline to the movie, but the plot is gonna be the same. I'd do alive!Tadashi but there's a ton of fics dealing with it and Hiro's grieving is a key part of this fic so eh.

 **Seems-pretty-legit –** no worries, i'm not gonna mentally scar any characters. That ain't me.


	5. Chapter 5

As always, if you have stuff you'd like added to the story feel free to recommend.

For those interested, Track for this chapter:

Bones – HighVisibilityRainCoat

alternatively: Bones - Backroads

* * *

Chapter 5

it was pitch black outside. a single owl could be heard through the night. Any reasonable individual would be well asleep by now, it was a the middle of the week for crying out loud. Apparently Hiro thought different though. He stalked through corridors, something that looked a LOT like baymax awkwardly waddled after him. Had he been modifying his brother's nurse bot? It appeared to be wearing Armour of sorts, maybe he upgraded it for botfighting or something? I was glad we'd been informed Hiro was up to something, by that very same robotics project no less.

We'd all been contacted by an unknown number, which turned out to be Baymax. if Fred hadn't answered for shits 'n' giggles we wouldn't even have known anything was up. Our suspicions were proven right, Hiro definitely wasn't doing allright.

The dot on the GPS stopped at a corner. I exchanged a look with Fred. After the blonde lad had comforted Hiro a couple days ago I'd immediately told him I already suspected Hiro wasn't clean. I'd seen him smoking while walking to school. Fred and I both doubted how the girls would take it though, and Hiro requested we keep it quiet too.

Now they might find out the hard way though...

the clouds broke open and the slight ticking noise of raindrops hitting the roof filled the car. The dot on the GPS started moving again. I slowly put my foot down on the gas again, turning into the alley Hiro'd been a minute ago.

* * *

After my discovery, I instantly snuck down to the garage. aunt Cass was asleep on the couch, a horror movie still playing. I took baymax with me, after I convinced the nurse bot ''apprehending'' the masked man would ''improve my emotional state''. I wasn't really thinking about myself to be honest, all I wanted was justice for Tadashi. I'd quickly drafted up armor design, did some basic motion capturing on a stock file from a Kung-Fu movie. Within an hour baymax was transformed from a cute balloon to a decked out Karate warrior.

After quickly making sure the chip was programmed correctly and the healthcare chip ALWAYS took priority over the Fighting chip, unless it was manually removed, I took out the microbot and followed where it led me.

It was a cloudy evening, and slight torrent slowly drenched my clothes. It didn't matter though. Finally I had some motivation to do something, a goal. I once again found myself near the docks. I stopped to catch my breath. I lighted a cigarette and slowly breathed out, watching the cloud vanish in the raindrops.

'' _smoking is bad for your general health, and can propose long term health issues''_ Baymax said something for the first time since I started modifying him _''you should consider other options for stress relief.''_

''I know it's bad'' I confessed ''but right now it's not my priority, we'll talk about it later, allright?'' the robot considered for a moment '' _will it help if we apprehend the masked man?_ ''

''yea, sure buddy'' I answered, gladly taking the chance to push the subject to a later date. I picked up my pace again, passing by ship containers. I was so focused on following the trail I didn't even notice how close I was getting to the sea. Something grabbed my cowl, and pulled me back a meter or two. Only when I looked up from the bot I saw I was at the end of the dockyard. Before me lay the sea stretching out as far as the eye could sea. I could just see the reefer I had clenched between my teeth disappear in the waves.

'' _always wait one hour after eating before swimming_ '' Baymax solemnly stated after putting me down. The Microbot, meanwhile, bounced and trembled in it's glass storage. As if someone was pulling on it, suddenly it burst out of it's cage and flew over the body of water, into the mist.

A figure appeared out of the thick clouds, coat fluttering in the wind. It took me a moment to realize it was the masked man. I frantically turned around, pushing baymax ahead of me back to the shadow of the storage containers.

I peeked around the corner, now clearly making out the unmistakeable white mask. The figure moved on steadily, carried by a gargantuan wave of microbots. It crawled on the docks, he appeared moving stuff around from the containers.

I slid back to baymax, who was hiding further in the shadows.

''Ok baymax, time to use those upgrades''

the robot took on an offensive stance, but just as we were about to confront the masked man, a bright light shone down the lot we were standing in. I winced at the sudden bright light, blinking quickly I could at least make out the lights came from a car. My heart was pumping full speed, I was frozen in place.

The doors of the car opened, and four people stepped outside.

''Hiro?'' a familiar voice calls out. I finally snapped out of my unmoving trance, quickly striding over to them ''no, no no no, get out of here GO'' I blurt out, slightly panicked, they weren't supposed to be here at all, how the hell did they find me in the first place!? A million questions swarmed my mind.

''Dude, what are you _doing_ out here?'' Wasabi demands

''nothing'' my voice peaked ''just out for a walk''

they all had unsure expressions on their face.

''is that... baymax'' Wasabi glanced over to the quickly modified version of Tadashi's project.''

''yea but you really shouldn't...''

''why is he wearing carbon fiber underpants?'' Gogo deadpanned, lumbering over to Baymax

'' _I also know Karate_ '' the android showed off some explanatory arm movements.

''you guys need to go'' I was straight up worried now, they shouldn't be here at all.

''no Hiro, don't push us away, that's why baymax contacted us'' Honey chimed in.

 _well, at least that explains how they found me._ I was about to challenge they really, really should leave but I didn't get the chance.

''HOLY MOTHER OF MEGAZON''

A container flew at us breakneck speed, hurled by the masked man. My life flashed before my eyes while Wasabi screamed the girliest screams I'd ever heard. ''what a way to go'' I grimly thought.

Apparently my time wasn't yet, cause baymax quite heroically took the hit. We were frozen for a second before we all sprung to action, rushing towards the car. I hopped in , Fred and Honey dropping in besides me. Wasabi slammed on the gas and we sped off the terrain.

* * *

''THAT IS IT'' Gogo pushed Wasabi off the wheel, taking control of the car. The driving style immediately changed. she took a reckless turn, we all shoved to the left, squishing Hiro. I felt his boney shoulder push against my chest, and for a second I forgot we were in a car chase and worried more about the skinny boy's health. That didn't last long though, because we took to the skies, launched from a stunt jump put up by the Masked supervillain.

I know I should probably be terrified, but I was more thrilled. A real supervillain was chasing us, how cool was that? I couldn't help but smile, despite the situation. We were now back at the docks again, the villain was somehow steering us into a cylinder of sorts.

''WERE NOT GONNA MAKE IT'' Wasabi was in full on panic mode now

''WE ARE'' Gogo yelled back, hunching over as if the car would go faster that way.

The tube started progressively getting tighter and tighter. Just as it was about to close, we reached the end and broke through the wall of bots. We didn't get to celebrate though, because seconds later we plunged into the sea. The car slowly sunk to the bottom of the coast. Everyone was frantically kicking the doors, Honey managed to break a window. We all quickly got ourselves out there, before I noticed Hiro still in place, I hoped to god he just passed out. I forced myself to ignore the lingering freedom just meters above me and dived back in the car.

I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out the door. When he was out of the car I quickly swam back to Baymax, who shed his armor, and the rest as quickly as possible. We all grabbed a hold of the balloon bot. he rose up to the surface, Tadashi's had saved our asses once again, even in death.

We climbed back up the pier to avoid under cooling. I lifted Hiro out the water, he was not coughing up while I carried him towards my parents mansion. I swore the kid didn't weight more then 100 pounds, and his clothes were soaked right now. He felt light as a feather. Luckily, my house was in sight.

After the initial suprise of my friends finding out I was kind of a millionaire, we all settled down in my room. I'd made sure everyone and especially Hiro were checked out by the in-house doctor. They all seemed to be fine, though cold. Hiro was concious now, and apparently very focused on the ceiling.

Gogo sat down in front of him, her expression a kind of pissed I hadn't seen in a long time.

''Hiro, explanations, now.''

* * *

I hope this chapter was a little better then the last one.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry for the late uploads on the past few updates. I usually end up writing this stuff between 11:30 and 2:00 AM, since it's a bit more of a melancholic mood.

I'm not too confident in this chapter to be honest. I'm not an emotional person at all, so this was kinda difficult to write.

Track: Bones – modestgoals (his recent powder mixtape is really fitting for this kind of angsty chapter, bones in general)

* * *

Chapter 6

My resolve withered away when I looked at Hiro. The kid was shuddering where he sat, I could see the chills waving through him. He was hugging himself, ragged breaths escaping his skinny body. He didn't even appear to have heard me. I got up from the seat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

Honey laid a hand on my shoulder, leading me to the couches the rest were, leaving Hiro to his thoughts for now. We walked to the couches the others were sitting. Fred seemed deep in thought, or as deep as he could be anyway. Wasabi was in the process of writing down the day's events in chronological order.

I sat down. I just realized how tired I actually was. The adrenaline wore off by now, I stretched my legs across the couch, plenty of room anyway. I looked to the kid once more. Baymax was near by him now, immersing the boy in a hug.

''I didn't want you to get involved''

Hiro suddenly said, out of nowhere. He was cradling his head in his hand.

"you shouldn't have gotten involved" he continued "I'm already to blame for _his_ death" his voice cracked at those last words.

He inhaled sharply, then stood up and marched out the door leading to backyard. I could see Tears rolling down his face. The door left open.

A cold breeze swept through the room.

I was taken aback. Hiro really felt this way, blamed himself for Tadashi"s death? The others showed the same surprised reactions.

He had lost his only family member left. His crowning invention stolen or recreated, being used for evil purposes. His entire life shattered in a single night. I couldn't even begin to understand how he must be feeling.

Tears stung in my eyes. How long had it been since I last cried, 4, 5 years? I tried to wipe them away, but when I looked up I saw I wasn't the only one getting emotional.

Honey was sobbing silently. Wasabi scooted up beside her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. I gave up fighting against it. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

' _BANG_ '

A loud noise echoed through the chamber. Fred stood near the coffee table, a trashcan rolled away. a dent was visible in the steel can. He was leaning heavily on the wooden plate, his knuckles turning white.

"FUCK" he yelled, shoving the few things that laid on the table to the ground.

I'd never seen Fred this mad before. He was furiously pacing circles in the room now, occasionally muttering swears under his breath. I realized, he wasn't per se angry. It was the overarching feeling of being incapable of helping the kid. None of us knew how.

 _''Tadashi would have known.''_ the grim reality hit me. We couldn't help Hiro, not like Tadashi could.

my heart was pounding fast. I could feel every beat vibrating through my chest. _anxiety, it's just anxiety_ I tried to convince myself. _Remember those exercises they taught you_. I breathed in the evening air, holding it for several seconds before exhaling.

It didn't work. I felt tired, so tired. When was the last time I actually slept? It didn't matter though, I figured. I messed up anyway. I stopped walking, coming to a stop on a sort of plateau, bright white pillars on all corners. I looked up at the night sky. Depressing thoughts clouded my mind.

They hadn't believed me when I said a masked man was copying my inventions. Why would they, too? Why would they trust the kid that let his own brother die. didn't, couldn't save him? But they took pity on me, they went to check out were I ran off to. And then I almost killed them too. If there had even been a shimmer of trust left in them, it was certainly gone now.

It all made sense now.

My hand slid down my pocket, searching for the pack the pack of smokes I had on me. The cigarettes were soaked, thanks to our late night swim. nothing to salvage there. A sudden burst of anger rushed through me.

Why did this happen to me. What did I do to deserve this? Everything was perfect just weeks ago. I dropped down to my knees, scraping my skin on the rough stone.

''Tadashi... why'' I bawled.

I was crying uncontrollably now. Like all the emotion of the past month suddenly unloaded. I couldn't think clearly anymore, no distractions worked. My breathing got harsher, sitting trembling on the cold ground.

My breaths were short and sharp, almost painful. The tear tracks dried on my cheeks. I'd cried until the tears wouldn't come anymore.

I got on my feet, immediately stumbling over to a marble pillar. I grabbed hold of it, doubting my own ability to stand up straight without falling. I let out a shaky sigh, sliding down the side of the pedestal. Where was I gonna go anyway, even if I wasn't tired? It's not like I could just waltz back into the mansion like nothing ever happened.

Footsteps approached. Multiple people, from what I could hear. I scrambled to my feet again, looking up. Wasabi, Honey, Gogo and Fred treaded up the stairs of the terrace. Their expression were worried.

Gogo, honey and Wasabi stopped at the pillar closest to me, but Fred kept a confident stride towards me.

''Look, I know you're hurting'' he began, throwing me a sad smile. ''were gonna help you get through this buddy, no matter what''

I just blinked at him. They were gonna _help_ me?! After all I put them through, after wrecking Wasabi's car and almost getting them all killed. And they still wanted to help me. I couldn't believe it.

''let's just forget about this all for now'' Fred spoke again ''we've got a villain to catch'' he stretched out a hand to me. I stared at his palm for a couple of seconds before flashing my signature grin. I took his hand and he pulled me up.

''let's go then'' I wiped my eyes for the thousandth time this evening. This time though, I was smiling.

* * *

A/N

I made a list of personality tweaks I'm gonna try and imply in the story:

Hiro suffers from minor insomania. Not talking the ''I literally never sleep'' condition, more like the ''I haven't had a good night's rest in 2 weeks'' which I'm pretty sure a ton of people suffer from. He also naps in more or less random places, such as the lab or whatever. You'll notice this more in later chapters.

Hiro is balancing the unhealthy tier of skinny. This is mainly cause I've always been interested in the effects of characters starving themselves, due to grief or depression etc. also the aesthetic in general is interesting.

Minor anxiety & depression issues, depression is worse at this point in the story, Tadashi's death and all. basically taken 1:1 from myself. Barely ever hungry, stomach cramps when anxiety intensifies, tired & unfit feeling most of the time.

Some of it may come off as projecting myself on the character, sorry if that turns ya off. I think it was inevitable, since it's a fanfiction :(

*A/N2

I didn't want to give all the characters overwhelming emotions, I have a lil' explanation chart here:

I feel like Honey would be the easiest to get emotional.

Wasabi is pretty average in that aspect.

Fred, Hiro and Gogo are all characters that aren't easy to shake, to me anyway.

Hiro is different in this specific case, since he's dealing with some heavy stuff. Isn't really fair to keep him the same. Same for Fred, he usually isn't easy to get to, he's the happy-go-lucky character most of the time. but this particular situation struck a chord with him, since his group of friends I imagine he's happy with is struggling with some serious troubles.


	7. Chapter 7

AYE sorry i'm late.

I usually try to upload before my fic drops off the third page, I don't like waiting long for updates myself, so I try to get new chapters online as quickly as possible. Anyway let's get on with it!

Track for this one's a bit more upbeat: NehruvianDoom – Darkness (HBU)

* * *

Fred successfully defused the situation earlier. The guy certainly had a knack for calming people down...

We strolled back to the brightly lit room. Fred now openly accusing everyone and their grandmother off being the masked villain. Hiro definitely still wasn't completely confident again.

His thumbs twitched in his long sleeved vest, nervous smile plastered on his face.

"so yeah, if you take into account his longcoat and facemask he basically checks all the boxes for a traditional super villain" Fred happily chattered on, ignoring the tense atmosphere. "really though we should investigate Alistair Krei too, that guy's to smug for my tastes"

Hiro looked up at Fred "wasn't that the guy that tried to buy my bots right after the presentation?" He asked.

Fred came to a direct standstill "BY THE GODS" he gasped "you're right. It's all making sense now" a twinkle flashed in his eyes.

"a million dollar entrepreneur, out for new tech" he murmured, lost in thought "rules don't apply to a guy like that"

We sat down in Fred's luxurious room. It was about 3 in the morning and everyone was now really feeling tired. Hiro left a message for his aunt, informing here he was fine, just crashed at a friend's for "studying". She'd gladly eaten up the white lie.

All this told me was that Hiro had definitely not spoken to Cass since i dropped him off this morning. I figured now was not the time to bring up the matter though.

* * *

Fred's butler, Heathcliff, lead all of us to guest rooms. I wished the others goodnight and fell down on the king sized bed, soaking my head deep in the cushion. I immediately dozed away, exhaustion finally catching up to me.

The older man showed me to my room last. Only Fred was still with us.

''I will wake all of you at 10:30 for breakfast'' the graying butler said. Fred cut in ''That early? come on Heathcliff, cut us some slack, it's been a busy day''.

''A good rhythm is important to '' _stay in the loop_ '' as they say, master Frederick.'' the butler answered with the same pokerface. The lanky teen groaned but complied, too tired to argue. ''goodnight, Hiro'' he said, before slogging down the stairs. Heathcliff gave a small bow towards me before following Fred downstairs.

I stepped inside the large room, marching towards the bed in a straight line. My legs were killing me, as was everything else now that I thought of it. I sat down on the side, swinging my legs on the mattress. I closed my eyes and slept immediately, for the first time in a long while.

I was awoken by a knock on the door. A posh voice called out "Sir, It is 10:30. Breakfast will be served in 30 minutes." I rolled over, grumbling a tired "got it". The butler silently shut the door again. I sighed, giving myself 10 more minutes before I'd get up.

After forcing myself out of the comfort of the bed, I checked my phone. 7 missed calls and 3 messages. I grimaced, not looking forward to confronting aunt Cass om the matter.

I shrugged it off for now, breakfast first. I sauntered towards the wide stairs, spotting Wasabi. He greets me with a sleepy smile.

"mornin' man, slept well?"

"yes, actually" for a change that wasn't a lie.

"ah good, good" we walked down he stairs together. When we got to the room heathcliff showed us yesterday, only Honey was there.

"well you're up early" Wasabi joked

She sighed "my mom called me at 7, even though I left a message." She stretched her arms wide, quickly regaining her energetic attitude "but hey, at least the morning wasn't wasted, right?"

Wasabi shook his head while pulling out a chair, slight smile playing on his lips "I don't get how you always see the positive in everything" he said "it's impressive really". She beamed at the compliment.

It didn't take to long for the others to appear downstairs as well. Fred's personnel quickly set up the breakfast table, we all settled down around the table.

"so, to continue where we left off." Fred didn't even bother with good-mornings, resuming his conspiracy theories as if there hadn't been a 6 hour sleep gap. "Alistair Krei is my appointed target. He has the the resources, the aspirations and he already showed interest in your tech" he pointed a finger at me.

I thought for a moment. Fred's idea wasn't even as ridiculous as it sounded. Krei _was_ suspicious.

"I think we should take it for now, its our best guess." I said, nodding in approval to Fred. I felt a slight headache coming up when I bobbed my head. The blonde guy fist pumped the air.

Wasabi coughed loudly "hey uhh I don't want to shatter you guys' dreams but how in the world were you planning on catching that guy?"

Honey and Gogo agreed with the him. "were not exactly superheroes" Gogo commented while casually sipping orange juice.

That got me thinking.

"but we could be" I murmured, half in thought

Wasabi, Gogo and Honey looked unsure, but Fred's expression lighted up, wide smile on his face.

"I like where this is going"

* * *

The rest of the day was spent drafting up supersuit designs. Hiro had immediately gotten to work. It was 6 in the evening when the first working prototypes were assembled. In other circumstances only getting the materials would have taken weeks, but Fred had serious connections. Anything Hiro needed was delivered within the hour. And that was forgetting the young millionaire's worrying personal stash of high end tech.

Heathcliff volunteered for the position of practice-yokai, wearing an almost identical mask. For prototypes, Hiro's suits performed absolutely amazing. Only a few slight tweaks, Like making sure Fred's suit was absolutely fireproof, were required for them to be near perfect already.

Tadashi wasn't kidding when he told us his little brother was a serious prodigy. He just single single handedly improved Wasabi's project in a day, and it had been something the physics mayor had been working on for almost 3 months.

It did seem to take a toll on the teen though. His hair was messy and unwashed, he was constantly yawning, and the bags under his eyes really showed. Though most of those symptoms had shown earlier, I still put up a mental reminder to talk to him about it. For now, he was more energetic than he had been in weeks. It would probably kill the mood to bring it up now.

We were all sitting in the garden, worn out after the practice

''Allright then, time to get to the real deal'' Hiro walked out from Fred's makeshift lab ''I present to you, Baymax 2.0!''

* * *

Next chapter is gonna feature a bit more angst.

Reviews:

 **Sophascoconuts**

I hope more reviews will start flowing in soon but hey, there's probably a reason why there aren't that many... as for why I'm not confident in my writing, I think it's mainly because I wrote it up in first person. For some reason it comes off more amateurish to me. I feel like I don't describe stuff well enough and use words like ''I'' and ''my'' too much to start sentences. I'm not native English so I should probably work on my vocabulary :( im glad you think it's good tho!


	8. Chapter 8

This was a bit rushed and very short. besides graduating & my parents wanting to do some shit for me, I've had a bit of a writer's block if you will. All in all fuck this week, but yea here's the update.

Track: Greaf – Never Noticed

* * *

I took to the skies, magnetically attached to Baymax's back. The others quickly vanished from view.

this had to be my best creation yet. Baymax cut through the evening air like a switchblade, leaving a trail of surprised people behind. Adrenaline rushed through me, but at the same time i had trouble keeping a strong hold on baymax.

We were cruising past golden gate bridge now, speeding low by the highway, occasionally sweeping over the water. I stepped down a bit lower on the android's back to catch less wind, almost sliding off in the process. Maybe this impulsive test ride hadn't been the best idea...

Suddenly, we made a sharp turn upwards, zipping along the large tower. My legs jerked loose by the rough movement, I dangled on by a single magnetic palm.

Before I realized what was happening, the last magnet gave in, not able to hold against the strong air pressure.

As if in slow motion, I tumbled towards the menacing sea at insane speed. I dully stared at the flying robot as he was quickly becoming smaller and smaller above me.

 _''I'm going to die''_ came the late realization.

The water body was only meters away, I'd abandoned all hope.

Something immensely heavy crashed into me, forcing any air I had left in my lungs out with a single push. The Sensation of flight filled me again. My arms fell limply over the shoulder of who or-what ever saved me. I could barely keep my eyes open, my awareness slowly fleeting away.

A bright red dot appeared on the horizon. I let out a breath, some of the weight dropping off my shoulders. I couldn't help but worry about the skinny pre-teen, even though, as far as robotics went, he'd definitely proven he knew what he was doing.

Baymax came closer to the garden now, I noticed he was carrying something. And even more worrisome, I didn't see Hiro on his back. Concern washed over me again. The others saw too, Honey gasped, heaving her hand in front of her mouth. The robot landed, gently laying the boy's unconscious body on the grass. For a second I thought something horrible happened, but then his eyes fluttered open. He looked confused for a second, seeking something familiar. As soon as he spotted us recognition washed over his expression.

''Yo Hiro what happened man? Baymax was carrying you'' Fred sounded worried.

''doesn't matter, let's just go after the villain'' he sounded worn out. Before I could respond Gogo butted in

''yeah no, you look about ready to drop dead. We'll continue tomorrow, let's just go home right now.'' she gave the kid an adamant stare. Any intention he might have had to challenge the decision was definitely gone. He shrugged and started pulling off his helmet, still staggering a bit.

* * *

we all said our goodbyes and went our separate paths.

Fred's house was actually closer to the Cafe then I expected. I didn't even bother looking at the time, strolling down the streets of SF. I'd declined a ride home, preferring the fresh air over a musty contained space like a car.

I passed by a shady store again, the type I usually got cigarettes. I slowed down, looking through the dirty window. It was still open. I considered not doing it, just moving on home. That resistance quickly faded.

I pushed open the door, immediately striding towards the counter. The cashier was an older man, an unkempt beard adorned his round face.

''what can I do for ya?'' he asked in a laid back tone.

''just a pack of marlboro gold, please'' I returned

the guy looked at me for a second, probably questioning my age, before turning around to grab the pack.

''allrighty, that'll be 6 bucks then'' I laid down the cash on the counter, taking the smokes in return. The man gave me a friendly wave, going back to his magazine already. I quickly left the store again, moving away from it as fast as possible.

 _''Great, Another bad habit I can't get rid of, just what I needed_.'' I thought bitterly. I decided not to smoke immediately, the cafe was too close already, and I _really_ didn't need my Aunt worrying over me on top of all that was going on already.

I pushed the door open, but before I could sneak off upstairs, aunt Cass walked in from the kitchen.

''you have some explaining to do, Hiro''

* * *

Reviews:

seems-pretty-legit

both, I placed a horizontal line wrong so it looked messed up :( sorry bout that.


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